The Power of God’s Design

I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the Heaven and say there is no God.  — Abraham Lincoln

Many people believe there is no God because they are convinced that science has fully explained how our universe came to be. If there is a natural explanation of our origins, they think, who needs a supernatural one? Perhaps, like many, you see a contest between science and religion, and believe that science has been declared the winner hands down.

But does science alone explain this incredibly beautiful and complex creation in which we live? Doesn’t its magnificence make you wonder?

How does the sun provide just the right amount of energy to light and heat our planet? What makes everything in our orderly world work so well together? How is it that we can predict the precise day of a full moon or an eclipse, or determine whether to expect a violent thunderstorm or a fresh snowfall?

Where does lightning come from, or a brilliant rainbow? When we see the startling colors of a sunset, we often wonder how such a spectacular display is created. We marvel at the grandeur of mountains and the beauty of beaches.

As I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time, my jaw dropped. The canyon’s vastness was awe-inspiring and its colors were truly amazing. Where did that canyon come from?

Why is it that when we look at Mount Rushmore, we don’t say, “Wow, erosion is an amazing thing! Look how it formed the heads of four presidents of the United States”? We realize that would be a foolish statement. Whenever we see creation, design, art, or order, it’s obvious that there was some intelligent force behind it to make it happen.

I speak in many venues around the country, so I fly a lot. Once, on the drive from the airport, I saw a beautiful sunset—one of those amazing Technicolor displays that keeps changing like a kaleidoscope. I began to pray that someone would see that beautiful sunset and wonder who painted it in the sky.

The following night was Halloween. I was staying with some friends who had a very large house set back from the road quite a distance. No one had come to the house for candy that night— until there was a ring at the door at around 9:30. As the lady of the house went to answer it, I stuck my head around the corner to take a peek. At the door were two young ladies, their faces painted like cats. They looked a bit too old to be trick-or-treating, so I asked them their ages. They said they were 20 and 21. I asked them what they were doing trick-or-treating and, of course, they said they wanted some candy!

After chatting a few minutes, I brought up a question about eternity. One girl responded, “You’re wasting your time talking to us about God. We’re atheists.”

So I asked them what evidence they had found to prove that there is no God. They didn’t have any evidence at all, which I found
very interesting. Like many people, they were probably thinking that reason was on their side. Yet without any evidence to support their belief, what they actually had was blind faith—and they were using that as the basis for their eternal destiny.

Some people think it takes blind faith to believe in God. But we use calculated faith for most decisions in life, and we should do the same for our decisions about eternity. I asked them what would be enough evidence to prove to them that God exists. They didn’t have an answer for that either. So I told them I would give them something to think about, and I explained the concept that the universe displays creation, design, art, and order. I asked them, “If everything else has a creator, designer, artist, or orderer behind it, why would you think that there is not a Creator, Designer, Artist, and Orderer behind this universe?”

Suddenly their eyes grew wide. One of the young ladies said, “Yesterday, I walked outside at dusk and saw a gorgeous sunset. And I was wondering to myself, “Who painted that in the sky?”

Within twenty-four hours of my prayer, I got to meet someone with whom God had answered that prayer!

Both young ladies were students at a local art college. As artists, they knew that for every beautiful painting, there must be a painter who created that artwork. And logically, the same would have to hold true for all that is in this incredible universe.

I was talking with a man one day in downtown Atlanta and I asked him a question about spiritual matters. He replied that he was an atheist and that there was no way to prove there is a God. We were standing among tall buildings so I pointed to one of the skyscrapers and said, “Prove to me that there was a builder for that building.” He answered, “That’s easy. The building itself is proof that there is a builder.”

He was 100 percent correct. We know that you don’t just gather some concrete, pipes, windows, paint, wires, etc., then turn around and look back to suddenly find a building. A building requires a builder.

I said, “Exactly. The building is proof that there is a builder.” I then added, “The sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, the sand, each unique snowflake, the three billion pieces of your DNA that are different from mine, are absolute proof that there had to be a Creator of this universe.”

He looked at me. I could see the light bulb flash on behind his eyes, and then he glanced away. As he thought about that statement, he realized he had provided his own proof.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. —Romans:1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
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Mark Cahill will be a featured speaker at TBC's 2012 Summer Bible Conference in Bend, Oregon, August 10-11.